Compost Tumbler with A-Frame Base – Tumbler with a Twist! “Garbage” In, Garden Out!

Share your love of DIY:   
Compost Tumbler with A-Frame Base

This is not the typical “T-Post” DIY tumbler! When it’s full, a compost barrel can weigh up to 440 pounds, and this tumbler’s A-frame base is super sturdy.

The design of the legs make this compost tumbler wheelbarrow friendly, allowing the wheelbarrow to tuck under the barrel. Now, emptying the compost doesn’t have to be a messy job.

Sifting, sorting and screening the finished compost just got a lot easier too! Check out the DIY Shaker Table Project.
New for this project is a comprehensive Plans & Tutorial PDF you can download! Tutorial includes pictorial lists of materials, supplies and tools to complete this project along with schematics showing where these components are used. Each step is explained in detail with diagrams and photos to make it easy to follow, allowing you to build a project you can be proud of!

The problem:

The DIY compost tumbler plans and how-to videos found online are usually based on a T-post design, with the legs in the shape of an inverted “T”.  The problem with that type of base is that they are not very stable, especially when turning a barrel that may weigh over 400 pounds!

T-post bases can be made more stable, but increasing the size of the base comes at the cost of making it difficult to get a wheelbarrow close enough to the barrel. The result is that emptying the tumbler can quickly become a big mess. 

It’s easier to get the wheelbarrow under the barrel!

People doing the Limbo on beach
Wheelbarrow doing the Limbo under tumbler

The solution:

Making an A-Frame design with a criss-cross base was the answer. A Tumbler with a Twist!

This base is super strong and can easily support a heavy compost load. The heavier the load, the more the tumbler “plants its feet” and becomes even more steady.

Best part is that “doing the Limbo” and getting a wheelbarrow to go low enough under the barrel is a piece of cake!

The video below shows the steps in detail to make this compost tumbler, and NEW for this project is a FREE comprehensive Plans & Tutorial PDF.

Summary of Steps:

  1. Cut and assemble the legs
  2. Measure angles for cross braces
  3. Attach braces to frame
  4. Cut holes in barrel
  5. Insert vents and drain
  6. Make and install air shaft
  7. Mount barrel to base
  8. Fill it up and start making compost!

Show us your tumbler!  Now you can share photos in the comments below! 

 

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. At no extra cost to you, I may earn a small commission on items bought using them. These are the same recommendations I would make regardless of any compensation. For products that I have older versions of, I recommend the items that I would replace them with if I were buying them new. 

Resources for Compost Tumbler (also listed in FREE Compost Tumbler PDF)

These are the tools and supplies I used to build my compost tumbler. Alternative and optional tools are listed in the FREE PDF. You do not need all of them, so feel free to substitute with tools you have available.

Kobalt 24V MAX Brushless 2 Tool Combo Kit

From Amazon
Great value combo kit with both the impact driver, drill, and charger & battery

Luckyway 17-piece hole saw kit

From Amazon
Includes the 1″, 1-1/4″ and 4″ needed for this project

1/2″ Irwin Speedbor Spade Bit

From Amazon
6″, impact rated

IRWIN QUICK-GRIP Bar Clamp, Medium-Duty, 12″

From Amazon
For supporting cross braces while attaching, as shown in video

Hardware store components, such as fittings, lumber, couplers and more, are conveniently listed in the FREE Compost Tumbler PDF.

The PDF has a visual parts guide, complete with pictures and specifications. This makes it a convenient shopping list to take to the store with you.

It is impractical to have links to these small parts since they will vary depending on your store, and would be expensive to ship. Please ask any questions you might have about these. 

 

There are more DIY projects in the works, so stay tuned to Uncharted DIY. Feel free to comment, post photos of your Compost Tumbler or ask questions about this project.

Uncharted DIY is for DIY enthusiasts tackling uncommon projects, utilizing common tools and often on a limited budget

Uncharted DIY is for DIY enthusiasts tackling uncommon projects, utilizing common tools and often on a limited budget